Bidspirit auction | Kiyonaga Torii, Beauty by the

Kiyonaga Torii, Beauty by the River, Antique Hashira-e - Artist: Kiyonaga Torii (1752-1815) Title: Beauty by the River Date: 18th century Size: 11.3 x 69.5 cm (including backing). Condition: Backing. Tape residue on the top corners. Black outline slightly smudged. Some soiling and discolouration. A print depicting a woman standing on the banks of Sumida River beneath an overhanging branch, holding a fan to shield her eyes from the sun, further figures in boats behind her. Hashira-e, or pillar prints, is a narrow print format originally intended for decoration of the supporting pillars in traditional Japanese houses. The prints would have been pasted to the pillars and exposed to the elements of the Japanese household, making those that have survived very rare collectibles. While these more unusual sizes present their own challenges to the printing process, they also allow the artist to be experimental, imaginative, and innovative with the design's compositional limitations. Subjects range from the traditional portrayals of bijin (beautiful women), to legendary figures and heroes, to birds and flowers, in a limited space brimming with artistic imagination and expression. Ref: JG012616-26